Reprogrammable Hardware
used in future Patient-Centric
eHealth Tools
Authors: Årsand Ea, Hartvigsen Ga, b
aNorwegian
Centre for Telemedicine, University hospital of North Norway
bDepartment of Computer Science, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
Agenda
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future
Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
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Motivation Reprogrammable Hardware used in future
Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Disease case
Patient-centric
Reprogrammable hardware
Challenges
Hardware used in
Alternatives Reprogrammable
Future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future
Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Need for eHealth tools
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Safety
Adjusting unhealthy parameters
Health information
Motivation
Support
In form of a wearable buddy?
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
E.g. people with diabetes
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200 mill. people, epidemic
Avoiding unhealthy blood glucose values
Serious complications
Vulnerable groups of people
– Especially children and elderly
• Need help to self-help
– Blood glucose, nutrition, physical activity and
medicine
– Also on distance
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Main principle
sensors
+
Mobile/wearable
terminal
forming a ICT Self-help tool
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Patient-centric, demands
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Mobile or wearable
Primarily for the patient
Easy and motivating to use
Self-adjustable
Self-reconfigurable
Context sensitive
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
eHealth tool / buddy
• Main components (reconfigurable)
– Sensors
– Wireless communication
– Power
– Logic (hardware)
– Intelligence (software)
– Memory
– Supporting electronics
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Reprogrammable components
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PLDs – Programmable Logic Devices
pSOCs – programmable System On Chips
FPGAs – Field Programmable Gate Arrays
ASICs - Application Specific Integrated
Circuits
• hybrids with CPUs - Central Processing Units
integrated with some of the above
+ : dynamic, cheap, small, low power
- : specific competence needed
Xilinx FPGA
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
16x16x1.2 mm
Example setup
Memory
FPGA
A/D and D/A
UART
Mic./Speaker
Bluetooth
Battery
FPGA
A/D conv.
UART
Sensing unit
Bluetooth
Battery
Memory
FPGA
Ps
LOGIC
UNIT
UART
LCD
Bluetooth
Battery
HEADSET
Memory
SENSORS
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Technology - PLDs
• Programmable Logic Devices –
hardware changed at real-time
• Self-configured (software) and selfadjustable based on sensor input
• Example: Per with T2D is very
inactive, walking just 700 steps each
day. Then he is getting motivated
by the eTool, beginning to walk
3000 additional steps each day…)
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
The eTool senses this increase in activity and
changes hardware (AD-converter and
electronics) to receive data from a different
kind of step-sensor. During Per’s weekly
blood pressure measurement, the eTool
prepare itself (physically) to receive this data.
Per is motivated to increase the blood
glucose tests from 1 to 3 tests a day. Thus,
the eTool reconfigure (software) itself to
present a daily overview at the evening, in
addition to the weekly graph. All data is
transferred wirelessly (Bluetooth). The eTool
is constantly sensing for changes in Per’s
habits and consequently adjusts itself, i.e.
self-adjustable (hardware and software).
The eTool senses this increase in activity and
changes hardware (AD-converter and
electronics) to receive data from a different
kind of step-sensor. During Per’s weekly
blood pressure measurement, the eTool
prepare itself (physically) to receive this data.
Per is motivated to increase the blood
glucose tests from 1 to 3 tests a day. Thus,
the eTool reconfigure (software) itself to
present a daily overview at the evening, in
addition to the weekly graph. All data is
transferred wirelessly (Bluetooth). The eTool
is constantly sensing for changes in Per’s
habits and consequently adjusts itself, i.e.
self-adjustable (hardware and software).
The eTool senses this increase in activity and
changes hardware (AD-converter and
electronics) to receive data from a different
kind of step-sensor. During Per’s weekly
blood pressure measurement, the eTool
prepare itself (physically) to receive this data.
Per is motivated to increase the blood
glucose tests from 1 to 3 tests a day. Thus,
the eTool reconfigure (software) itself to
present a daily overview at the evening, in
addition to the weekly graph. All data is
transferred wirelessly (Bluetooth). The eTool
is constantly sensing for changes in Per’s
habits and consequently adjusts itself, i.e.
self-adjustable (hardware and software).
The eTool senses this increase in activity and
changes hardware (AD-converter and
electronics) to receive data from a different
kind of step-sensor. During Per’s weekly
blood pressure measurement, the eTool
prepare itself (physically) to receive this data.
Per is motivated to increase the blood
glucose tests from 1 to 3 tests a day. Thus,
the eTool reconfigure (software) itself to
present a daily overview at the evening, in
addition to the weekly graph. All data is
transferred wirelessly (Bluetooth). The eTool
is constantly sensing for changes in Per’s
habits and consequently adjusts itself, i.e.
self-adjustable (hardware and software).
Challenges
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Power
Labs and expertise
Size
Speech recognition / easy interface
Usability
– i.e. aiming for functionalities that use
a “no-touch” principle
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Alternatively
• Using existing mobile terminals;
Smartphones / PCs
• A good alternative if the
“Bluetooth Medical Device Profile”
is realized
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Example
EHR,
PC,
mobile
phone,
etc.
Long-range
transfer
Sensor
Short-range
comm. adapter
Programmed
mobile phone
(Bluetooth
enabled)
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Advantages of using the
patient’s mobile phone
• Close to 100% propagation
• Follows the patient almost
everywhere
• No extra device
• Cheap terminal (compared to PC)
• Verbal communication channel
in the same unit
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Advantages of using
reprogrammable hardware
• Physically reprogrammable, i.e. more
flexible, more functions on less space
• Self-adjustable, both software and
hardware
• Small size
• Cheaper per unit
• Low power consume
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools
For more information:
[email protected]
+47 992 43 592
currently working with the PhD project:
Self-help through a mobile ICT tool
Supporting lifestyle changes for preventing
secondary diseases for people with Type 2 diabetes
using a digital diabetes diary
Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools